Most of the plastic-based solutions used in bio-manufacturing are today incinerated after use, even the not “bio-contaminated”. Bioprocessing bags used for media and buffer preparation and storage represent the largest amount today. The aim of this work was to technically assess the feasibility of the mechanical recycling of bioprocessing bags. Materials from different sorting and recycling strategies have been characterized, for their suitability of further use. Quantitative physical and mechanical tests and analysis (FTIR, DSC, TGA, density, MFI, color, tensile, flexural, and Charpy choc) were performed. The data show that these recycled plastics could be oriented towards second use requiring physical properties similar to equivalent virgin materials. A comparative life cycle assessment, based on a theoretical framework, shows that mechanical recycling for end of life presents the advantage of keeping material in the loop, without showing a significant statistical difference compared to incineration with regards to the climate change indicator.

Despite well-known benefits, the increasing use of single-use technology (SUT) in biopharmaceutical processes has raised concerns about the environmental impact of plastic waste. This paper provides the first bioprocessing industry example of a “closing the loop” proof of concept by implementing a circular economy model for a polycarbonate (PC) bioreactor vessel used in process development applications. Through a collaborative effort between an end user, a SUT supplier, and a resin supplier, a lab-scale study was initiated to collect, decontaminate, and mechanically recycle material from vessels after use in mammalian cell culture experiments to produce new vessels. The study demonstrates that using recycled PC reduces vessels' environmental footprint and does not adversely impact vessel extractables. Even in direct contact with cells and media, recycled PC left cell culture performance and monoclonal antibody production largely unaffected. This work paves the way for broader adoption of circular practices in the industry. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate closed-loop recycling of PC across multiple environmental indicators (e.g., climate change, resource use, water use, etc.). Benefits typically favor the closed-loop system, but sensitivity analysis indicates that variations in parameters such as recovery yield, contamination rate, means of transport, and electricity mix can erode these advantages in non-ideal settings. The paper outlines the logistics, challenges, and learnings from this program, emphasizing the need for standardized procedures and collaboration across teams to achieve sustainable SUT circularity. Key points: • Recycling bioreactor polycarbonate vessels reduces environmental footprint. • Equivalent extractables observed in virgin and recycled polycarbonate vessels. • Cell culture performance is comparable across recycled and virgin vessels. Graphical